Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-11-05
DIAMOND MINES.
PRECIOUS STONES FOUND IN THE
REGIONS OF GoLcONDA-

Yield Of the Mines Of India and of Bra
ziI-The Famous kimberiy-New South
Wales and Borneo-Cevion's Valuable
Gems
There are in India three extensive tracts,
widely separated from one another, in
which the diamond has been sought for
TIE name of GoIconda, originally applied
to q capital town NOW deserted fort in
the neigllborhoOd of Hyderabid), seems TO
have been used for a whole kingdom; but
the town i.self IS many miles distant from
the nearest diamond mines, and il was
only the mart where the precious stones
were bought and sold. The second great
tract occupies an immense area between
the Mahanuda and the Godavery rivers;
and the third great tract is situated Ia
Bundelcund, near the capital of which
Punnah--some If the mines are found.
Fer those content with a slowly paying
occupation and hard life, involving close
supervision Of the workers diamond min
ing will pay, provided such persons pos
sess capital sufficient to last them few
years The diamonds now are usually
brought from Partial, close to the south
ern portion of the Nizams dominions
The deepest pits are not more than twelve
feet The matrix of the diamond in those
localities Is a eonglOmerate sandstone
The appliances of modern machinery for
excavation, etc, directed by men of sci
ence, may possibly bring to light gems
that have not been discovered by the rude
native processes Of search.
1t would be curious to ascertain the
yield Of diamonds in the east from those
mines in the last so years, and OF Brazil
in the last 80 years since the discovery
there; but no such data are obtainable,
nor indeed can any reliable estimate be
formed Of the value OF the diamonds
owned in different countries.
From the four principal mines in Girl
qualand (which all lie within circle with
a diameter Of three miles, calculating the
amount OF diamondiferous ground re-
moved and the known average yield per
load in each. it is found that not less than
81, 900. 900 carats of diamonds Tor more
than 10 tons weight must have been
extracted since the first discovery, realiz-
ing in round numbers $40 600 600
THE FAMOUS KIMBERLEY.
The yield of diamonds from the Kimber-
ley mine alone, from the opening in 1871
to the end of 1885 is stated TO have ex-
ceeded II, 500 600 carats, equal to three
and half tons weight Of precious
stones, in value about eco 600, 900. To
obtain this as many thousand tons Of reef
and ground have had to be excavated.
The mine is 450 feet deep, and the cubical
contents of this huge cavity measures
about 1900, 900 cubic wards. Four thous
and KafIirs are employed at this mine,
and more than 10000 natives of Africa
arrive yearly at the mines in search OF
work; so that the employment of native
labor and the development of native trade
are incidental benefits conferred on South
Africa by the discovery of the diamond
fields.
The Dutch government are the owners
OF the diamond mines IN Borneo, which
are situated in the district of Landak, in
the territory OF Ponteyanak; they are
worked by Dyaks and Malays, but with
far superior skill by the Chinese. The
gems are found in yellow colored gravel,
at depths ranging to sixty feet Ad-
vances are Inade to the miners, who are
bound to deliver all stones at 20 per cent.
below their market value.
Diamond mining in New South Wales
is likely to become of much Importance,
and the colonists are sanguine of being
able to compete with South Africa in this
trade Twelve thousand diamonds have
been obtained up to the present time,
chiefly from the tertiary grayels and re-
cent drifts in the Bingera, Inverell and
Chittagong districts. The largest dia-
mond yet found weighed 1862 grains, or
about 5-8 carats They are of good
color and quality Companies with large
capital are forming to buy up and work
the extensive diamond fields in Bingera.
Other gem stones found IN that colony are
garnets, the common emerald green
beryD, Oriental emerald green sapphire),
royal blue sapphire, white and pale blue
topaz and agates.
CEYLoN's PRECIOUS STONES.
Ceylon has always had reputation for
its richness in precious stones. Inferior
kinds, such as the moonstone aud the
garnet. are found in the beds of streams
about Handy, Newark Eleya. Badula and
some of tine small rivers of the south; but
the more precious stones, such as the
ruby, the blue sapphire, the Oriental topaz
OF various yellows, the Alexandrite and
the cats eye, must be sought within
radius of thirty or forty miles from Ratna-
pura, the city of gems.
The search for gem stones is carried on
in the most primitive manner in Ceylon.
The soil, supposed to be rich in precious
stones, is rented for an annual sum from
the government Coolies are set to work
to dig the earth, which is heaped up on
one side, and then washed through a
trough with variously sized perforated
zinc stops, which retain all stones, accord
ing to their sizes. These are placed on a
table or fiat surface, and the gems are
easily distinguished and picked ont. The
proportion of gems capable of being cut
and really marketable is not more than
per cent
OF the sliccous gems, the amethyst, Of
a purplish violet hue, is the most valu-
able. The best amethysts are brought
from Cambay in India, and from Siberia,
Ceylon and Persia, where they are found
both lining the cavities of goodies and in
rolled masses. The chief supply of the blue
turquoise is drawn from the peninsula Of
Sinai, the great mining district of the an
eient Egyptians. Professor p. L. Sim
monds in journal of the Society Of Arts.